Florida Volunteer Background Checks: Level 1 vs Level 2 Explained (2026)
September 12, 2026
Florida doesn't require a background check for every volunteer. Instead, its statutes name specific roles, setting by setting, that need a Level 2 fingerprint check. This video covers which roles those are, the difference between Level 1 and Level 2, and how to run the checks.
In this video
- The Florida exception: why there's no blanket rule
- Which volunteer roles Florida law requires to be screened: child care, summer camps, youth sports, juvenile justice, disability and elder services
- Level 1 vs Level 2 under chapter 435 of the Florida Statutes
- VECHS or the AHCA Clearinghouse: choosing how to run a fingerprint check
- Protecting your organization when no statute covers a role
- Level 1 is a name-based Florida search plus the national sex-offender website. Level 2 adds state and FBI fingerprints and the registries of every state lived in for five years.
- Since July 1, 2026, independent sanctioning authorities in youth sports must run Level 2 on every coach, assistant coach, manager and referee with direct contact with minors.
- One carve-out recurs: a volunteer who helps intermittently, under 10 hours a month, and is always in a screened person's line of sight falls outside the rule in child care, camps, juvenile justice and disability services.
- When Florida law requires a criminal history check, the Florida record must come from FDLE. A commercial check can't be substituted.
Key points
Get the free Florida guide, "Line of Sight," with every statute cited:
Florida volunteer background check requirements at a glance:
For volunteer roles no Florida statute covers, VolunteerBadge runs background checks for $5 each, with free ID and live-selfie verification on applications and no setup fee, contract or per-seat fee. A VolunteerBadge check never replaces a Level 2 check that Florida law requires.
This video summarizes our Florida guide. Where they differ, the guide and the statutes it cites control. It's general information, not legal advice; confirm your obligations with your licensing agency or an attorney.
